Inuit Music of Greenland

The Inuit of Greenland share a musical tradition with related tribes across the Canadian regions of the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, as well as the United States of Alaska and part of eastern Russia. The Greenlandic Inuit are part of the Eastern Arctic orchestra; the eastern Arctic Inuit of Canada and Alaska are part of the same music place as the Central Arctic Inuit, as opposed to the different patterns of the western Inuit.

source of picture: rungloriarun.blogspot.com

Greenlandic Inuit music is largely based around singing and drumming, the latter being generally reserved for large celebrations and other gatherings. Though there is much traditional vocal music, there is no Inuit purely instrumental tradition with no accompaniment by singing or dancing. Greenlandic drums are mainly frame drums produce by animal skin stretched over a wooden frame and designed with decorative and symbolic motifs by the percussion. Aside from drums, whistles, buzzers and bull-roarers are also widespread and the jaw harp and fiddle are both found most likely recent imports.